enforcement, but to the
public. The reasons will become apparent as the issues discussed are general in
nature reference the quality of the officers and investigations.

Every law enforcement agency across the United States
understands that their officers are only as good as their education and
training received post-high school. Over the past three decades the majority of
law enforcement officers come to the job with an undergraduate degree.
Recently, many officers bring graduate degrees as well.

Education is financially rewarded by many of the law
enforcement agencies as an added bonus and incentive to recruit potential
candidates. Further, those officers who have undergraduate and graduate degrees
will have a greater opportunity to potentially move up the chain of command.

The responsibility of training their officers is the
agencies sole responsibility. As soon as the officer is hired by the agency
there are state laws which require the officer will have to attend the state
police academy. Depending on the state, the police academy can range anywhere
from four to six months in duration.

Once the officer has graduated from the academy, the officer
will then be placed into a field training program with his/her agency. The
duration of the field training program being determined by the individual agencies
policies and procedures, but generally the programs duration is three to five
months.

The education the officer possesses will be based upon the
undergraduate of graduate degree they obtained and which colleges they obtained
the degree(s) from. This is where some officers will have an advantage over
other officer’s because of the specific curriculums and the higher learning
college they attended.

Examining and evaluating the education and training an
officer receives over a specific time frame will most likely project which
direction their career will be focused on. There will be some officers who want
to work in the Operational Division i.e., patrol or the Criminal Investigation
Division i.e., detective, child sexual abuse investigations and sexual assaults.

Whichever avenue of advancement the officer selects they
will approach their selection with the same training as the other officers.
However, there may be some newly hired officers who have military police
training, which will assist them in their advancement within the department.

Depending upon the field training officers, and what the
newly hired officer will be exposed to may make a significant difference in
comparison to other newly hired officers. If this is the case the advanced
field training officer will provide a higher standard of training. The purpose
of having a field training officer program is to allow the newly hired officer
to be exposed to multiple field training officers so they are given the
opportunity to learn from a diversity of officers who are experienced and
specialized in a specific investigative task, such as being a crime scene
technician.

Sometimes the newly hired officer will have the unfortunate
experience of being trained by a field training officer who operates on
“autopilot.” “Autopilot” in law enforcement are officers who go through the
motions in their specific investigative assignments. They know the policy and procedures of what
is required of them and this is how they approach and handle their
investigation. They don’t do anything more than what is required of them. This
is the type of officer an agency and the community doesn’t want investigating
sexual abuse/assault type cases.

These types of officers (autopilots) are the norm, not
because they are lazy, uneducated, or untrained, but it is the easiest investigative
method and technique to accomplish their jobs. If an investigation requires
they take a witness statement and prepare a report, then this is all they will
do.

Their jobs are mechanical in nature, their thinking is dull,
and they have little motivation to do anything more than what is required of
them. If a newly hired officer is trained by an “autopilot” officer than they
will learn the basics of the investigation which has been assigned to them.
Nothing more, nothing less, they will do what is asked of them.

So how does an officer stay away from becoming one of the norms
and instead flourish and have the reputation that they are a motivated,
innovative, and a creative law enforcement officer? There are several steps an
officer can take to be the best he/she can be:

1.After
their one year, probation has been accomplished, and then the officer needs to
find an area of expertise they want to pursue and develop their knowledge of
how they can become an expert in this field.

2.The
officer needs to know each and every general rule, guideline, policy,
procedure, and process in their law enforcement agency. They need to have the
basics memorized and capable of reciting them if any situation arises and there
are questions about how a specific task needs to be accomplished.

3.The
officer needs to become an avid reader in their field of interests. There are
thousands of books on crime scene investigations, interviewing, crimes,
criminal profiling, and so forth. In order to change their status from novice
to expert they will need to set aside time everyday to read and read and read.

4.The
officer needs to attend workshops, conferences, webinars, or any other
educational venues on the subject matter they want to become an expert in.

5.The
officer needs to volunteer in their unit and division in their department so
they can determine if they want to set their goals and aspirations in this
field of being a police officer. The volunteering needs to be outside their
specific assignment.

6.The
officer needs to interview experts in the law enforcement field who are known
as being the top in the field they are interested in. These experts can be
inside their own department or part of other law enforcement agencies.

7.The
officer needs to locate websites, journals, publications, and other resources
which can assist the officer in learning what the scientific ideologies are in
reference to their field of study.

It takes much effort and dedication to become one of the
best in the field of study that a law enforcement officer wants to pursue. The
technical aspects of being competent and intelligent, requires the officer to
develop a short-term and long-term training and education action plan.
Preparation is necessary so milestones, when accomplished, can be checked as
completed.

The degree in which the officer wants to take his/her level
of expertise will be determined by the officer, their available time, finances,
work, and other professional and personal factors. Once the officer has
accomplished their training and education action plan it may be time for the
officer to begin applying within his/her department for the specific
investigative position they have put their time in to become qualified for and
an expert in.

The decision to be on “autopilot” in child sexual abuse
cases depends upon the pedigree of the officer. If they were born to be an
individual who has always accomplished goals and desires by doing the minimal than
they will be on “autopilot” during their law enforcement career. It takes a
special type of officer to investigate allegations of child sexual abuse. The
officer must be willing to present an attitude of neutrality and objectivity at
all times. It is easy to sit back and watch an investigation develop on its own
or the officer can direct the investigation documenting all facts and evidence.

If an officer wants to be an expert in the field of child
sexual abuse investigation, then the officer needs to expend time working in an
investigative field such as burglary/larceny obtaining experience and learning
how to develop relationships with other detectives, patrol officers,
management, and the local prosecutors. This experience is invaluable and should
be one of the short-term training and education action plans.

It takes a special type of person to be a law enforcement
officer. Further, selecting the specific avenues the officer desires to take
may determine the longevity the officer will be employed as an officer. Most
individuals who become officers stay with the agency until retirement or
another opportunity presents itself.

The type of officer law enforcement management and the
community wants on their police force are intelligent and competent officers
who do not support those officers who live on “autopilot.” The type of officer
everyone appreciates, desires, and respects are those who plan out their
future. When provided an opportunity to perform an investigation, conduct it in
such a manner that there are no questions about the integrity of the investigation.
The quality of the motivated, creative, and innovative officer generally is
considered the type of investigation the community appreciates. If you are a
law enforcement officer are you on “autopilot?” Or are you an officer with a
specific vision to be the best you can be not just today, but tomorrow and the
future.

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Lawrence Daly New Novel

Available in Paperback and Kindle

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In the small town of Kent, just south of Seattle in Washington State there is a child serial rapist and murderer who has targeted young girls. Over an eight-year period, Victor has abducted, raped and murdered 12 young girls. Detectives Simon Stocker and Gus Hall begin the chase of Victor. Just when he appears to have disappeared, he abducts 12 year-old Brittany Redman and the chase is on again.

With the assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other law enforcement agencies, a task force is established to chase Victor down. Victor’s method of operandi is to abduct his victims and then they are found 72 hours later, dead.

The time to save Brittany is running out, Detectives Stocker, and Hall pull out all the stops to save her life. Will they be in time?

About Lawrence W. Daly

Lawrence W. Daly is the author of multiple sex crime non-fiction books and booklets. Lawrence is one of the leading experts in the field of child sexual abuse investigations. Chasing Victor is his newest adventure. This debut novel, an exciting thriller will keep you on your toes, wondering who Victor might be, and whether Detectives Stocker and Hall will succeed in chasing Victor down. A must read!

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Quotes

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. ~ Edmund Burke

That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our power to do has increased. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

An informed citizenry is the only true repository of the public will. ~ Thomas Jefferson

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do. ~Steve Jobs US computer engineer & industrialist (1955 - 2011 )